HC Deb 16 December 1993 vol 234 cc782-3W
Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the appointments made to public bodies by his Department since April 1992 have been advertised.

Mr. Howard

Since April 1992, the appointments of chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality and the Data Protection Registrar have been advertised.

Dr. Wright

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is regarding the use of executive search consultants in making appointments to public bodies; and if he will(a) list the appointments where such consultants have been used and (b) list the cost in each case since April 1992.

Mr. Howard

Executive search consultants are used in making appointments to public bodies where it is thought that they will be able to supplement usefully the field of applicants.

Since April 1992, consultants have been used for the post of chief executive of the Commission for Racial Equality and in the current competition for the post of Data Protection Registrar.

For reasons of commercial confidentiality it is not our practice to disclose individual contract values. However, the combined value of the two contracts was £32,500.